There are fresh concerns that the tourist tax may be increased in the Balearics. Next week, the Sustainability Pact committee created to combat and deal with the various problems mass tourism poses to the Balearics will debate the proposal agreed between the regional government and the PSIB in the last General Policy Debate in Parliament to increase the sustainable tourism tax (ITS) - the tourist tax.
This was confirmed on Tuesday by the Minister of Economy, Finance and Innovation, Antoni Costa, in the plenary session of the regional parliament when asked about it by Socialist MP Llorenç Pou. The PSIB MP criticised the First Vice-President of the government for not bringing the proposal to the Sustainability Pact committee before the end of last year, as they had promised.
‘I can confirm that this measure will be debated next week and the PSIB has been invited to defend its proposal,’ replied the minister. Costa wondered whether the Socialists would heed the call and return to the Sustainability Pact, which they left months ago along with other left-wing parties and social organisations.
In general terms, the proposal is to increase the ITS during the summer months, reduce it during the low season and eliminate it for residents of the Balearics. Earlier last month, the chances of there being an increase in the Balearic tourist tax in 2026 looked increasingly more remote with the Partido Popular government downplaying the possibility of a rise because of the political reality it faces - attempting to keep Vox as onside as possible for the remaining period of the current administration (up to May 2027).
In 2024, President Marga Prohens presented the case for an increase in the tax. The proposal was meant to have gone to the sustainability pact committee for consideration before the end of 2025, but it did not. The PP need to negotiate with Vox on key outstanding legislative issues. Agreement with PSOE on the tourist tax would derail a hoped-for rapprochement with Vox; the PP are quite willing to sacrifice a tourist tax increase.